The present invention relates to insulating devices for restricting heat loss, and in particular relates to insulating devices for use by a participant in cold weather recreational activities, such as down hill skiing.
Down hill skiers experience significant heat loss from exposed skin surfaces resulting from both the cold weather inherent to their sport as well as from rapid air flow across the exposed skin surfaces during skiing. Typically exposed skin surfaces are limited to facial areas of down hill skiers, and most of those areas are covered by head wear, such as caps or hoods, and eye shields, such as goggles. Because of the bright sun light reflected off of the snow, etc., it is very common that skiers' goggles are tinted, and cover from the mid-forehead to just below the skiers' eyes, excluding the nose. Raised collar jackets, or sweaters, etc. often cover up to the chin area, while upper foreheads and ears are covered by the caps or hoods. That leaves primarily the skier's nose, mouth and cheek areas exposed to rapid heat loss.
When the heat loss is so high that protection of skiers' nose, mouth and cheek areas is necessary, the protection has typically included either a face mask, or a scarf to cover those areas, both of which are quite awkward, bulky and unattractive, thereby detracting from the skiers' mobility, comfort and personal appearance. Additionally, known face masks cover an area between the nose and cheeks so that exhausted breath leaving a skier's nose or mouth is directed by the ordinary airflow over the skier's face into contact with the exterior and/or the interior surface of the goggles, resulting in condensation of the moisture in the breath on the goggles in the form of a film of fog, or even ice upon freezing of the moisture. Consequently, known methods of inhibiting heat loss from the nose, mouth and cheek areas of a down hill skier have proven to be ineffective, unattractive, and even disruptive of the skier's performance through physical limitations to head movement and/or to vision through the skiers' goggles.
Accordingly, it is the general object of the present invention to provide an improved facial insulator that overcomes the problems of the prior art.
It is a more specific object to provide an improved facial insulator that facilitates insulation of exposed facial skin surfaces without hindering mobility, attractiveness or vision of a user of the insulator.
It is yet another specific object to provide an improved facial insulator that does not impede flow of exhausted breath of a user so that the vision of the user through eye goggles is not impeded by use of the insulator.
It is still another object to provide an improved facial insulator that enhances the attractiveness of the user through application of variable appealing designs to the insulator.
It is another object of to provide an improved facial insulator that may be worn outdoors and indoors without accumulation of excess heat.
It is an additional object to provide an improved facial insulator that may be manufactured, distributed and purchased at a very low cost.
These and other objects and advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent when the following description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.